BaleHaus by Modcell, Semi-Modern Strawbale

The renderings in this article are of BaleHaus by ModCell. This UK concept springs from the three positions that we need to: (1) live within our environmental means, (2) maintain a healthy and comfortable quality of life, and (3) build strong communities. Stated otherwise, the BaleHaus is meant to provide good, comfortable living with a guilt-free eco-conscience. BaleHaus is super-insulated, boxy and functional, and geared towards communal living. More renderings below …

If you look at the renderings, you can tell it’s been designed to allow a healthy amount of natural light. The walls are made of straw cladding panels to keep the innards super-insulated, and thereby, reduce demand for energy: "The BaleHaus reduces its heating demand by 80%. It does this through the super-insulation provided by ModCell, high performance triple glazing combined with airtight construction, passive design techniques, and heat recovery ventilation in winter." Combine good design, smart construction, and green materials, an you end up with quite the green abode.

It also appears that the BaleHaus is set up for mass-production, but as the Ninjas at MNP noticed, unlike prefab, which is also set up for mass production, the BaleHaus look is somewhat, well, less than ill. Maybe that’s because modern prefab allows room for customization and individualization. I’ll let you decide on that … but the way I see it, change the way you envision the home of tomorrow and it may end up expanding present notions of green living.